Trump rally set for Long Island as officials discuss security plans

MINEOLA, N.Y. — Former President Donald Trump is holding a campaign rally this week on Long Island, his first since Sunday’s apparent assassination attempt in Florida.
The event is scheduled for 7 p.m. Wednesday at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale.
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman and Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder held a news conference Monday to provide details on the security measures being put into place.
They said law enforcement isn’t taking any chances in what has been an extremely volatile election cycle.
“We are used to big events in Nassau County. We have hosted the presidential debates, the US Open. We’ve had the International World Cup T20 cricket matches here. We had 156,000 people from seven nations over the course of 12 days incident-free. Three ISIS threats, direct threats, against the tournament,” Blakeman said. “This is nothing new. We are prepared and we are ready.”
“This will be the safest place in the country on Wednesday,” Ryder added.
Security will be at the highest levels following two attempts on the former president’s life. Wednesday’s event be his first rally since a man pointed a rifle at him from a distance as Trump played golf Sunday in West Palm Beach. Nassau County police are working closely with the Secret Service to secure outside of coliseum.
“It’s our responsibility to make sure those areas are safe, so we will devote a tremendous amount of assets, a small army,” Blakeman said.
Local GOP leaders say there is a lot of excitement for the rally, and more than 15,000 supporters are expected to attend.
“We have the resources. This isn’t our first rodeo. We feel very confident,” Blakeman said.
Blakeman advised rally-goers to arrive early — doors open at 3 p.m. — and warned about expected traffic congestion.
Nassau County Legislature Minority Leader Delia DeRiggi-Whitton called Blakeman’s announcement “vague” and said he didn’t outline road closures, security measures and logistical information to help area residents get around.
“County Executive Blakeman has dodged critical questions about the exorbitant overtime costs that Nassau taxpayers will have to bear for hosting his political idol. This visit is a private political event, and there’s no reason Nassau County taxpayers should foot the bill,” DeRiggi-Whitton said. “I am calling on County Executive Blakeman to stop hiding behind empty statements and provide residents with the detailed information they deserve about how this event will affect their communities. Furthermore, I demand that the Trump campaign reimburse the Nassau County Police Department for the overtime expenses associated with this event. Our residents should not be forced to pay for the political whims of County Executive Blakeman or Donald Trump.”
Free speech areas will be set up for counter protests.
“I want to make sure there are spaces allocated. I have been told there are thousands of Haitian-Americans who are coming to protest,” Nassau County Legislator Carrie Solages said.